Chloe Zhang
Soft plastic crawfish are among the best lures for catching bass, whether in shallow or deep water, and they can be used throughout the year. There are many ways to rig a soft plastic crawfish, including the Texas rig, which involves four components: your line, a weight, a hook, and the craw. The weight should be chosen based on how fast or slow you want the craw to fall. A common size is 3/8 or 1/2 ounce, but it can be adjusted depending on the current, depth, and cover. One tip is to use a rubber bobber stop or a toothpick to keep the sinker, hook, and craw together. When using a Texas rig, you can also place the worm weight on backward, creating the illusion of a crawdad rooting around for food and drawing more attention to the bait.
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What You'll Learn
Texas Rigging
To Texas-rig a plastic craw, you will need four components: your line, a weight, a hook, and the craw. First, run the sinker on the line. Next, tie on a wide-gap hook (usually 3/0 to 5/0, depending on the size of your crawfish bait). Then, thread the hook through the nose of the crawfish, push it through the body, and exit the hook about a quarter of an inch down. Finally, slide the craw up the hook's shank, twist it around, and bury the hook point back into the bait to keep it weedless. This rigging method allows you to work through weeds and structure without snagging.
When Texas Rigging, it is important to choose the right weight. The weight will determine how fast or slow your craw falls. A common size is 3/8 or 1/2 ounce, but you can adjust the weight depending on the current, depth, and cover. For example, if you are fishing in an area with heavy vegetation, you may need a heavier weight like the one used in a punch rig to punch through the vegetation.
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Keel-weighted hooks
One example of a keel-weighted hook is the 6th Sense Keel Weighted Hook, which is perfect for their Divine Swimbaits, as well as other soft plastics swimbaits and jerkbaits. This hook features a wide-gap design, providing ample space for larger-bodied plastics. Each hook is also equipped with a screw-lock bait keeper, which not only makes the hook weedless but also gives the bait more action.
Another option is the 6th Sense Bladed Keel Weighted Hook, which is also perfect for their Divine Swimbaits, as well as other soft plastics swimbaits and jerkbaits. Similar to the previous hook, it features a wide-gap design and a screw-lock bait keeper. Additionally, the blade on this hook incorporates a flash that imitates another baitfish swimming with your desired soft plastic, adding an extra attraction for the fish.
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Jigheads
When fishing with plastic crawfish, the rigging is simple. The Texas rig is the most basic and common rig, using a bullet weight and either an offset shank worm hook or an extra-wide gap hook. Slide the craw onto the jig hook and snug it up against the skirt. If your jig doesn't have a wire trailer keeper, add a small dab of superglue before snugging it against the skirt and head.
If you're using a shaky head jig, push the hook into the plastic bait until you reach the bend in the hook. Then, push the hook out until the eyelet is at the top of the bait. Line up the bend in the hook shank and mark this spot with your finger. This will give you equal lengths of bait on either side of the hook. When you twitch the rod tip, both sides of the bait will shake up and down, imitating a crawfish or baitfish.
Shaky heads are best used in water deeper than 10 feet with hard bottoms. When fishing with a shaky head jig, look for areas with lots of rocks and saturate them with jigs and craws. This will stir up sediment, making it look like a crawdad is rooting around for food or trying to escape a predator.
For bass fishing, the Carolina rig is highly effective for catching fish that are suspended in offshore cover or structure. This setup uses a two-way barrel swivel, weight, leader, beads or clackers, hook, and craw.
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Bait choice
When it comes to bait choice for plastic crawdad fishing, there are several options and techniques to consider. Firstly, the Texas rig is a popular and versatile method that involves using a soft plastic crawfish lure with a weight, a hook, and a line. This technique is effective in shallow or deep water and around various types of cover. Another option is to use a jig, which can be rigged with an open hook or weedless, like a Texas rig. Jigs offer a wide range of presentations, from swimming at high speeds to moving just under the surface or plodding along the bottom.
Additionally, the weight selection is crucial when using a plastic crawdad. The weight chosen should depend on how fast or slow you want the crawdad to fall, with common sizes ranging from 3/8 to 1/2 ounce. However, it's important to adjust the weight based on the current, depth, and cover. For thicker vegetation, a punch rig is recommended, which uses a heavier weight to punch through the obstacles.
The spider grub is another useful tool when searching for bass feeding on crawfish around scattered weeds and rocks in shallow areas. It can be fished faster than a jig and triggers more reaction strikes. When fishing in shallow flats, a light jig head can be effective, while a thicker cover may call for a Texas-style rig. Keeping the hook exposed can also increase the chances of landing more fish.
For Carolina rigging, a crawfish can be a great alternative to typical offerings like lizards or worms. This technique presents the bait slowly along the bottom and provides a slightly different look that can make a significant difference in heavily pressured waters. Additionally, the Yamamoto Hula Grub in small 4" sizes can effectively imitate a crawdad or a small baitfish, making it a versatile option.
Lastly, when rigging a plastic crawdad, it's important to ensure the hook is below the centre line, closer to the tail, with the eye on the bottom. This setup allows for more natural movement of the tail and body when twitching the bait. Using weights like the Damiki A weights can help focus the weight on the very bottom of the crawdad, allowing it to stand up at an angle, mimicking a defensive posture.
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Punch rig setup
The punch rig setup is ideal for fishing in areas with heavy vegetation. It is designed to deliver a powerful jab or uppercut and is set up as follows:
Firstly, the punch rig setup is similar to the Texas Rig setup, which involves four components: a line, a weight, a hook, and the craw. The line is used to run the sinker, followed by tying on the hook, threading the craw, and then casting the line. The weight, usually chosen based on the desired fall speed of the craw, is critical to the punch rig setup as it uses a heavier weight to punch through thicker vegetation. A pointed weight is recommended, and a rubber bobber stop above the weight is essential to keep the components together.
Additionally, a punch skirt can be added between the weight and hooked craw for visual appeal. The size of the craw can vary, but larger craws are often preferred for this rig. The punch rig technique involves pitching the lure and then lightly applying pressure to the spool to stop forward momentum, allowing the weight to drop first into the water. Once the bait reaches the vegetation, it should be kept tight to the surface to mimic a crawfish feeding. This process can be repeated until a bass bite is achieved.
The punch rig is a versatile setup that can effectively navigate thick vegetation while presenting a natural bait presentation. Anglers can utilize this rig to target bass in areas with heavy vegetation and achieve successful catches.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several ways to hook a plastic crawdad. One way is to use a Texas rig, which involves four components: your line, a weight, a hook, and the craw. Run the sinker through the line, tie on the hook, and thread on the craw.
One tip is to place the worm weight on backward so that when you move it along the bottom, it stirs up sediment, making it look like a crawdad rooting around for food or trying to escape a predator. Another tip is to use a rubber bobber stop or a toothpick to keep the sinker, hook, and craw together.
One alternative is to use a punch rig, which is similar to the Texas rig but uses a heavier weight designed to punch through thicker vegetation. Another option is to use a Carolina rig, which presents the bait slowly along the bottom, making it a good alternative to more typical offerings.
You can use a wide gap hook, such as a 3/0 or 2/0 EWG, or a worm hook. If using a worm hook, bite the worm off in the back of the rudder, take the hook a 1/4 inch in and out, and then bring it up from the belly to the back of the crawfish.
One tip is to make sure that the hook is below the center line, closer to the tail, so that when you twitch the bait, it moves the tail and body backward. Another tip is to use a spider grub when fishing for bass that are feeding on crawfish around scattered weeds and rocks on shallow flats.
